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Approximately 1,900 athletes enrolled under the Jamaica Athletes Insurance Plan will be able to access accidental medical reimbursement of J$100,000 for injuries sustained on the field or in a motor vehicle accident, effective February 1.

This is in addition to the group health, group life, and personal accident coverage currently available to the athletes.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport Olivia Grange announced the news while addressing the 2024 Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) Symposium held today under the theme, ‘Protecting brand Jamaica through clean sport’.

“As a Government, we continue to expand more and to expend more than J$70 million annually to ensure that our athletes are taken care of. So much so that many of our athletes have expressed their gratitude for the plan and the level of coverage it provides,” said Grange.

“Truth is, not all athletes have the advantage of endorsement contracts and the like. The reality is that some athletes are not able to adequately cover their medical expenses and this was affecting their ability to perform at the optimal. As a government, we could not sit by and not do anything,” she later added.

The sports minister said the health insurance aspect of the programme stands to rival many plans currently offered by major employers in Jamaica, giving athletes the freedom to visit the care provider of their choice.

Under the programme, athletes’ health insurance coverage includes doctor’s visits, ophthalmologists, hospitalisation, maternity, routine medical check-ups, gynecologist, home visits, X-rays, and more.

“It must be noted that in keeping with our commitment to the total well-being of our athletes and appreciation for the fact that their mental and emotional health is just as important as their physical health, athletes covered under the plan are also able to access psychiatric or psychological care as needed with no prescribed maximum visits per year,” Grange added.

She declared that the Jamaica Athletes Insurance Plan is a flagship programme, with many other countries commending Jamaica and seeking to implement similar programmes.

The Jamaica Athletes Insurance Plan is open to Jamaican national-level athletes, or those who are a part of the national development squad. The programme started to provide coverage for athletes in 2016. At the time, only 1,200 athletes were covered. However, there are now approximately 1,900 athletes from 37 sporting associations and federations in Jamaica covered under the programme.